The Death of the PDF

What are PDFs, anyway?

Let’s get technical: PDF stands for “Portable Document Format”. Wondering what a PDF is used for? Originally created by Adobe, this format is created to display ‘Read-Only’ documents that can be accessed on devices such as PCs, laptops, tablets and mobiles. PDFs can now be viewed by most web browsers, without the need to have a PDF viewer installed on your hardware.

Fun fact: In 2015 it was estimated that more than 2.5 trillion PDF documents are created each year! That’s a whole lot of documents - let’s hope they are not all printed!

The Advantages and Disadvantages of PDF Files

There are many benefits of PDFs that are worth mentioning when using PDF files to send information to colleagues, friends and potential clients. Let’s start with the PDF’s positive attributes.

Advantages of the PDF file

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  Secure: If you need your files to be private - PDFs have you covered with their high levels of security. They are one of the most trusted document formats, as they’re even used by legal professionals, and are recognised in court. This is because all alterations can be easily traced via an electronic footprint on the file - so there’s no changing a PDF without the courts knowing about it! Another security feature that PDFs offer is being able to restrict viewing through setting a username and password, so that only those with this information, can view the PDF file. Something PDFs and Paperturn have in common - password protection!
   

• Consistent: Another advantage is that PDFs allow for the same layout and content to be displayed across all devices. These types of files can be easily accessed from anywhere and by anyone, making them relatively user-friendly.
  
  

• Compressed: The final benefit of the PDF is that this type of format is compressed and, typically smaller than other file formats. This is a great feature if you’re struggling for space on your hard drive!

Disadvantages of the PDF file

• Cost of editing: Unfortunately - it’s not possible to directly edit your PDF file for free. You would need to use a platform such as Adobe Acrobat and other costly PDF editing softwares to acquire the “editing” function. This is a great disadvantage of the PDF as it doesn’t allow for corrections to be made easily.
  
  
• Layout: Although PDF files are ideal for printing - their pages are commonly in A3 or A4 format, making it hard to see each full page at a time. This results in a lot of scrolling and zooming in, which definitely dissatisfies “user-experience”.
  
  
• Basic: Despite the fact that PDF formats facilitate some interactive elements - let’s face it - it doesn’t engage readers as much as alternative formats due to its simplistic and rigid presentation. This can be seen as one of the disadvantages of the PDF file, making newer, more modern alternatives to PDFs more desirable!

Modern Alternatives to the PDF reader

With it being the 21st century and all - innovation has taken over - and the mundane, old PDF format will soon be replaced with the PDF alternatives that are listed below.  

The Digital Flipbook 

One alternative to the PDF format is the newly emerging digital flipbook. This type of document is typically held online. The most common way to create a flipbook is by uploading a PDF file to a website such as Paperturn. From there, your dull and relatively static PDF file gets converted into a real-page turning, online publication - that can be viewed flawlessly on every device! 

Click below to experience a flipbook example:

When creating your flipbook, it’s possible to include images, gifs, videos, links, lead capture forms and many more outstanding features that will catch your reader’s eye! 

Furthermore, having an online publication instead of an “offline” PDF file, enables you to gain useful insights about how many people view your publications, from where, and so on - via the use of in built and integrated statistical tools.

The Online Slider 

The “online slider” is another alternative to the PDF reader. This type of digital file “set-up” - instead of having the flipping motion, like the example above - slides across each page (while maintaining a single-page spread at all times). This kind of online document is more like a presentation, instead of a digital (double-page) publication. This “slider” option appeals to many as it allows for a more interactive, creative and cool approach, in comparison to the PDF format. This type of document display appeals more to teachers, motivational speakers and photographers who want to showcase their work, in a “slideshow” format.

Is the Death of the PDF coming soon (if at all)?

To conclude, both of these PDF alternatives, mentioned above, are much more interactive and engaging for viewers than the traditional PDF format. The question is - can we wrap up by saying that PDF is dead? 

The death of the PDF is definitely looming as newer, more innovative options of displaying documents and catalogues emerge on the digital scene. However, due to the PDF format being so secure, reliable, and internationally renowned - it may never disappear completely. In other words, PDFs are here to stay (but maybe not so prominently).

To find out more about how to create appealing digital publications for your clients, shareholders, family, customers etc. - make sure to check out our “get started” page!

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